Bush Iran War Agenda: Trigger an "Accidental Conflict," as a pretext to justify "Limited Strikes"

[kpete]

Bush Iran War Agenda: Trigger an "Accidental Conflict," as a pretext to justify "Limited Strikes"
by Deniz Yeter
Global Research, February 13, 2007


Hillary Mann, the former National Security Council Director for Iranian and Persian Gulf Affairs under the Bush Administration from 2001 to 2004, has issued a sober warning to the public today concerning the Bush Administration's intentions with Iran.

In an interview this morning on CNN(1), she accused the Bush Administration of "trying to push a provocative, accidental conflict," as a pretext to justify "limited strikes" on crucial nuclear and military infrastructures, as opposed to a large ground war as is the case with Iraq.

When asked why the Bush Administration was seeking to do this, she responded that it is a part of Bush's broader agenda for the Middle East to bring about a "democratization... peace and stability", to the region.

Of course, one only has to look back to history to see the Bush Administration's real agenda behind confronting Iran. Iran is only one piece of the puzzle in a broader, century long struggle by the US, Britain, and it's Western allies to secure the Middle East’s oil reserves.

more at:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=YET20070213&articleId=4775

[kenny blankenship]

1. oh yeah, bombing our way to peace and stability...

I think I need a drink.

[sakabatou]

2. Another Tonkin Gulf

[David Zephyr]

3. A reminder: Bush suggested provoking Iraq with phony U.N. Plane in 2003

From The New York Times on Monday 27 March 2006

"London - In the weeks before the United States-led invasion of Iraq, as the United States and Britain pressed for a second United Nations resolution condemning Iraq, President Bush's public ultimatum to Saddam Hussein was blunt: Disarm or face war."

"But behind closed doors, the president was certain that war was inevitable. During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Mr. Blair's top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by The New York Times.

"The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein."

"'The U.S. was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in U.N. colours,' the memo says, attributing the idea to Mr. Bush. 'If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach.'"



http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/58/18643

[fooj]

5. This needs its own thread, imo.

[David Zephyr]

8. Thanks, fooj. I thought I'd remind folks here.

I'm pretty certain Bush will have us in some sort of military dust up with Iran before summer.

[Kurovski]

4. K&R.(nt)

[Emit]

6. "Limited strikes" is just the first step. Regime Change is their ultimate goal.

The various neocon groups and Bush & Co. have been working fast and furiously for several years now in trying to spur a regime change in Iran -- the problem is, it is difficult to get the change to come from inside Iran.

First, remember this?

New ‘Office of Iranian Affairs’ Outlined in State Department Cable
UPDATE: CNN has picked up the story.

The Bush administration this month “quietly orchestrated a major shift in U.S. policy toward Iran,” requesting $85 million for a plan “not just to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions but also to topple the Iranian government.” An unclassified State Department cable released this morning offers details on this new strategy. ThinkProgress has acquired a copy of the document, which you can read here.

The cable announces a new Office of Iranian Affairs, and serves as a casting call for Iran and Persian language experts. It states that the U.S. is establishing positions in the United Arab Emirates and developing “reporting” positions in countries with large Iranian exile communities, including Germany, Great Britain, and Azerbaijan, among others. ~snip~

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/03/01/iran-doc/


And then, there are the associations between the prominent neoconservative groups and various Iranian dissidents.

Here are some of the contenders:





Amir Abbas Fakhravar

And
Reza Pahlavi or Sohrab "Rob" Sobhani

I posted an article which touches upon this subject earlier today: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=223798&mesg_id=223798

Edit spelling and to add visuals

[CoffeeCat]

7. I don't think the Iranians will take this...

I am no Middle East expert, but isn't Iran a world apart from Iraq?

The Iraqi people seem so compliant and not as sophisticated as the
Iranians. For lack of better words, the Iranians seem to be more
"progressive" "Westernized" and a bit more hip on what's going on.

I'm generalizing here, but this is what I sense.

The Iraqi people seemed traumatized before we invaded. I know they
are a proud, family-oriented people with a rich culture and history.
They are amazing people. I just sense that they are more malleable
than the Iranians--who seem to be more worldly or "advanced".

I hope I'm making sense here, and someone feel free to correct me.

My point is--Iran seems like a different situation than Iraq. I
just can't see bombings or an invasion happening without complete
and total retaliation and uproar. I see the people of Iran reacting
similar to how people from the United States would react--if we were
bombed.

Rumsfeld admitted "we underestimated the psychology of the Iraqi people"
several weeks after we invaded. I don't think this administration really
understands what they are up against with Iran either--and it's not going
to be as easy as Iraq.